You have to admire a man of conviction.
Yoenis Cespedes is the heart and soul of the New York Mets' lineup, and it just so happens his team finds itself in the 2015 World Series. But more importantly to us, the All-Star outfielder is an avid golfer.
Alas, Cespedes' passion made the news for the wrong reason last week, as a report surfaced alleging the 30-year-old injured his shoulder playing at Medinah Country Club before a game against the Chicago Cubs that night.
Because of the hype surrounding the Mets' Fall Classic battle against the Kansas City Royals, one would believe Cespedes would cool it with hitting the links for the time being. If you took this position, you would be wrong:
Forget the backlash Cespedes would receive from the New York media and fan base -- not an understanding crowd, by the way, that New York media and fan base -- if the slugger aggravated his shoulder during the series playing golf. What's astonishing is Cespedes is an upcoming free agent, in line for a possible nine-figure deal this offseason.
That he's willing to gamble that fortune, and the fame that would come with winning a World Series, in the name of golf illustrates the spell the sport has over him. And it's also why he's our new favorite player in baseball.